Okay let's see; state of affairs.
-The weedy half elf is still alive, but he is bleeding badly and will require aid if you want to let him live.
-The rider is trapped and talking with you.
-The grass is still up, so you cannot catch up with the gnome or the fleeing guard, however apart from that you can treat it as gone; we can just say you eventually make your reflex saves and escape the grass.

The rider winces at Blast's threat; he's aware that a tiefling is unlikely to be merciful with him.

The man nods fervently. "You're the bosses now; I understand, I promise! But a place to go... I'm just a dog, I don't know any safehouses or anywhere; I'd take you to my house but they know you captured me, they'll look there..." He thinks very hard, and then brightens. "I might know a place... Kore had us chase this pair of redskin scum... err I mean a Tifling Couple... out of their room; I think it's still boarded up, we'd be safe there?"

Gunser, you sense that he has had an idea and he does know a place; but he's also trying to pull one over on you.

The paladin surveyed the battlefield in the wake of the encounter with his sword and shield held firmly in hand. The rider appeared to offer parlay and the growth that rose up amongst the cobblestones of the street still offered a hindrance. Aleksandyr slung his shield across his back and tossed his cloak back over it before he sheathed his sword. He moved over to the bleeding man and took a knee. He opened the visor on his hand and placed his gauntlets to the half-elf's wounds. "Inheritor, give me strength and show this soul mercy," he prayed as his hands glowed with a divine light.

"Grab those two, we gotta get off the street. I'll be right back." Jelani will look for an urchin nearby, making a quick circle of the surrounding blocks at a jog. If he finds one he will say, "Hey, you know Bob?"

The man nods fervently. "...I'd take you to my house but they know you captured me, they'll look there...(snip) I think it's still boarded up, we'd be safe there?"

Gunser, you sense that he has had an idea and he does know a place; but he's also trying to pull one over on you.

Gunser sighs, rises, drops the spinach he was about to feed the rider, and settles his hands on his oar. "You're gonna make me teach ya, not to try and play me?", Gunser laments. Then he strikes the rider again with his oar, in a leg, to preserve the man's usefulness as a native guide, and diminish his ability to flee.

Hearing the paladin's prayer as the rider's cry of pain ends, Gunser makes to lift the rider, in agreement with Jelani's plan. "That's more mercy than you'd have shown us. Now, up on that leg, or I'll have the Hammer hit it again. And tell Long-hair how we get to that window. Smart and proper-like, or I'll explain some more..."

Blast can't help but grimace and close his eyes as Gunser cracks the man's leg with his oar. Come on, Naberius, he thinks, this is necessary, and it's more kindness than you would have found.

With a swish of his tail, Blast moves forward and places his blade at the rider's throat as Gunser begins the lift. "Like my sailor friend here said, up. Or I'll do worse than strike you with a hammer. You saw what my little devices did, felt it, too. Imagine one of those down your gullet."

Blast grins evilly, and his tail flicks into the rider's face for a moment.

"You see why we're protective of 'im?", Gunser jokes with the rider, as though he hadn't just hobbled him with the oarstave strike. But Gunser's smile turns to frown, as he laments, "Crew can't come ashore for some R'n'R, without gettin' jumped up by your lot? And leavin' them healed weren't enough goodwill for you? Just had to try again, did ya? Well, here he is, here we are, crew of the Defiance, come to parley. Duly refused, and noted. But we'll have our devil safe in your town, if we have to break all of you to do it."

There you go, layered truth and lies. Small lies, big truths. Feel free to make bluff, or intimidate, or whatever rolls for Gunser. But he's not trying to get pants-wetting fear from the rider, he just wants the man to reason his own mind into dealing with us. He'd rather not blind and maim him, but it's more merciful than killing him, which might be smarter than letting him go...

"Up there? One of our eyes; Geezer Atkin I think... lets us know when people mess with our walls..."

The strike to his knee causes a loud CRACK and the rider's eyes involuntarily fill with eyes. Letting out a strangled scream he grabs his leg, screams again and lets go. "You...you.......urgh. Okay boss okay okay; I get it. You've got plans and I'm not in charge any more. The place with the tiefling couple does exist, but they built a nasty trapdoor inside it; nearly got me when we raided it. I thought I could use it to get you but I didn't reckon on you fellas being so perceptive; like i didn't reckon on you guys being strong enough to knock me back on my ass his tone has turned to wheedling and flattering. I can take you there."

Also there is one guard still bleeding but he's not quite as dead as the half-elf.

After Aleksandyr saw to it that the half-elf's bleeding could be stopped he looked around for another poor soul to save. By the will of the Inheritor the half-elf would survive. "See to it that someone watches him," he told whomever would listen as he stood. He noticed one of the guards was still breathing so he moved to his body. He took a knee again and placed his hands to the guard's wounds as a divine light came from his gauntlets, its warmth washing over the man's injuries.

The guard wakes up as Aleksandyr's light washes over him; he pokes his head up, looks around, blinks, and then collapses back onto the entangling grass. "By Kore, I hope this is a dream..."

Gunser speaks to the rider. "Let's be about getting there, then. Speakin' for now of your leg, we might heal it. We might make it worse. It's most on you, to decide. But don't doubt this; or if you do, don't let me think you do: The only safe course for you, is safe for us, too. I'll be fair to you, if you're fair to us."

Meeting the rider's eye, Gunser pauses, then nods at whatever he sees.

"Alright, Defiance, when Hammer get back, we're off. This one's navigator. Any false move, any of them... I don't judge we owe them a breath of warning. Enemy waters, close stations."

Did Jelani find his urchin?

"Prayerful", Gunser calls to Aleks. "There's a dead man, could use a Word, while we're waiting for Hammer. Longhair can manage your wakey-up, I expect."

"No need, didn't find what I was looking for. We can't leave the half-elf here though, and carrying a unconscious man through the streets is a really bad idea. Sorry Aleks." Jelani says as he smashes the half-elf's head with his hammer. "Saving two bad guys will have to be enough to for today."

So if Rider behaves, you are healing his leg and then going for a walk with him and the guard?

And also the eagle-bird-thing has burnt to death 60ft in front of you.

It may all be moot, but no, my intent was not to heal him and go for a walk. He gets to hobble, Gunser will help him, I expect some of the other strongs in the party will help as well, perhaps the awakened guard. We're going to the place Rider leads us to, now that Rider has no doubt he needs to work with us. Gunser hopes when we're all done talking, we'll be happy to heal him up. That's what I meant.

I suppose too much has gone on for Taurven to get his arrow off after the gnome. So...

Taurven takes stock of the situation. he realizes that Gunser is still winded even though Mellany had healed him some. He sings a song of restoration and steps up, laying his hand briefly on the sailors shoulder.

Cure light wounds:1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

The half-elf then collects his daggers, and when Jelani returns casts the cure light wounds on him as well.

1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

I'll have to comb back through the thread, but I'm thinking both those two were injured.

Taurven takes stock of the situation. he realizes that Gunser is still winded even though Mellany had healed him some. He sings a song of restoration and steps up, laying his hand briefly on the sailors shoulder.

Cure light wounds:1d8+1

Gunser startles a bit, then nods at Taurven. "Thank you, Lass", he jokes.

I expect Taurven might also see that Gunser is healed more than expected (see when Mel did it). But I don't have a poem handy this time. :)

"Does it really have to be like this? Do we really have to become the thing we're fighting?" Mellany says as she gathers Cat in her arms. "If it has to be this way, why did we even bother taking the oath?"

"Maybe it's because one of my first memories is bloody murder. But yeah, I suspect in the end it will come down to us killing them. It always does." Aleks had stopped Jelani's hammer in mid-swing, nearly catching the blow himself. Jelani stares at him hard for a few seconds, but won't try to kill the downed elf again. "If you love our enemies so much, you can carry them." He says, kicking the downed synthesist in the ribs and walking off after Gunser and the other two captives shaking his head.

Don't! Taurven tells Gunser. Less you want your new name to be Grandmother. Taurven grins at Gunser. You can tell he is joking along.

Then Taurven grows serious. It is a war Mellany. We may have to do some unpleasant things. We do need to keep in mind though: We will fail ultimatly, unless we can gain the hearts and minds of the people.

So if we want to gain the hearts and minds of the people we should be as merciful as we can.

Taurven's face grows truly grim. there will be times when we need to judge people. there will be times when it falls to us to administer justice. I'm talking about exicution, for some it will be the only course. If we let them live they will only commit more crimes.

The rider blinks slightly, not sure of what to make of your new prattering on about justice on hearts, but he's hoping it means he gets to live.

You all pick yourselves up and, following the rider, set off through the city to the tiefling couples' house.

You are almost there when you are stopped by two young knights wearing armour resembling that of the hellknights; however, their helmets do not obscure their faces and their armour is not as intricate nor strong. The first, with the slightly shinier helmet, steps forward and looks you up and down; specifically, at the half-elf with bloodied clothes being carried, at the rider who doesn't look at all cheery and at the tiefling following along from behind.

{What the hells}, Gunser thought, looking at the prisoners exchanging worried looks and silent signs. It couldn't be helped, and it might not hurt, {Let them make of it what they will}

"As I judge it", Gunser said, letting the joke he saw chuckle into his voice, "I've no right to judge. With... some few exceptions. But I've some right to defend. And full right to survive. And duty to my crew. And then, there's my temper. And then, there's Mister Hammer's temper."

"We'll try to set a course for all of us Defiance whole, and well, and wealthy. We'll sail through storm for that. And speakin' for myself, I'll try to find a place where we might set down Flotsam and Jetsom, here, and Milord Rider as well, safe. Ain't gonna darken my hair, none.", Gunser joked, "But I'll try."

Guard 1: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13
Guard 2: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
The first guard blinks slightly and looks at Jelani doubtfully. He has a muttered conversation with his fellow [ooc]Perception DC 20 to hear "What do you think?" "Looks okay to be; that big one looks a hell of a lot like one of the slave-takers, even though they've got that tiefling..."

The guards nod and the first turns to you. "Aye. I hope you fetch a fair price for them. Move off."

He adds to Gunser, "No, leave the body where it is; rats'll take it."

You push on past them; a conflicted look passes over the rider's face but he eventually sighs and moves on without speaking.

"There's another, didn't make it through", Gunser adds. "Is there a fee or a fine or such, for leavin' the body where it fell? We got the toe, where the tattoo were, to prove we caught 'im. Didn't need the rest...?"

After a few more minutes walking you make it to a small collection of dingy houses, pressed up against eachother close. The rider leads you to one with broken windows and graffiti on the outside walls and kicks down the boarded up door. It swings open, revealing a very old dull-crimson bloodstain just inside.

Taurven steps up. Ah, hello. Wow. That sure is cool armor. I always wanted to be a knight. I bet all the girls swoon for you two in that plate. Maybe you can teach me swordplay, sometime. I've been looking for a swordmaster for awhile.

When all are inside, Gunser says, "Most proper to knock one of you out, and question you in turns. But I'm most improper. And you seem to understand we're not playin' at jackstraws, here. So plain, then, you, Flotsam, you're first: Why the killin' and takin' of tails?"

You've found yourself in a small house, it's dusty and there's occasional debris and residue from looting but it is otherwise not harmful at all.

The guard collapses onto the nearest chair letting out a small puff of white dust and he shrugs. "Taking the tails? The boss, Kore, wants us to; has a few of us stake out the walls, grab a tiefling or two off the streets once a month..."